Daddy's Girl
by DaddysGirl81
Summary: Hilary Tatibana has just told her friends a very shocking secret about her father, a secret that explains the mysterious bruises that constantly show up on her face, arms, and wrists. This secret threatens to tear apart her entire group and could possibly
1. Introduction

_**Daddy's Girl**_

Daddy's Girl Outline:

Main Characters:

**Name: **Hilary Tatibana

**Age: **16

**Description: **She has brown hair and ruby eyes. She is a bit of a tomboy and loves to play sports. She is usually quiet and reserved unless she is very angry. She has a crush on Tyson.

**Name: **Tyson Granger

**Age: **17

**Description: **He has brown eyes and navy blue hair. He is a bit lazy and loves to eat, but knows how to have a good time and is very loyal. He is usually loud and obnoxious. He has a crush on Hilary.

**Name: **Max Tate

**Age: **16

**Description: **He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a very optimistic and childlike personality and uses it to help cheer up his friends when they are down. He has a crush on Emily.

**Name: **Emily Anderson

**Age: **16

**Description: **She has orange hair, blue eyes, and wears glasses. She likes to collect data and play tennis. She is very smart, resourceful, and a computer expert. She has a crush on Max.

**Name: **Ray Kon

**Age: **16

**Description: **He has long black hair and yellow, catlike eyes. He is calm and collected and keeps the peace between all of his friends. He has a crush on Mariah.

**Name: **Mariah Mao

**Age: **16

**Description: **She has pink hair and yellow, catlike eyes. She has great determination and is not afraid to speak her mind. She has a crush on Ray.

**Name: **Kai Hiwitari

**Age: **17

**Description: **He has two-toned hair (dark in the back, light in the front). He is not social or friendly, but when he does talk, his advice is truly valuable. He has a crush on Tika.

**Name: **Tika Matthews

**Age: **15

**Description: **She has brown hair with red bangs that frame her face. She is very outgoing and works hard to get what she wants. She is a girly-girl and Hilary's best friends since childhood. She has a crush on Kai.

**Name: **Felix Tatibana

**Age: **37

**Description: **He has brown hair and ruby-like eyes. He is Hilary's father. He drinks a lot and, in a drunken rage, will often beat or molest Hilary. He relies on his daughter to do a lot for him (cook, clean, get him ready for work, help him get over his hangovers, etc.). Basically he is a lazy, drunken freeloader.

**Summery: **Hilary Tatibana has just told her friends a very shocking secret about her father, a secret that explains the mysterious bruises that constantly show up on her face, arms, and wrists. This secret threatens to tear apart her entire group and could possibly kill her if she doesn't tell the authorities.


	2. Prologue: Hate and Love

_**Prologue **_

Daddy's girl. That is what they are always calling me. My friends that is. However, my dad thinks that I am anything but a daddy's girl. He says that I'm too stubborn, too hardheaded. He always grins there and tells me that I'm exactly like my mother.

I love my dad to death, really, I do. But sometimes he really gets on my nerves and I wish that he would just go away. Like that time he pulled out my baby pictures when all of my friends were over.

How embarrassing! I didn't talk to him for a week after that, and he didn't even seem to understand why.

He can be so dense sometimes I want to scream.

I wonder if every girl feels this way about her father or if it's just me…

Who cares?

For as long as I can remember, it has just been me and my dad. My mother died in a car accident when I was two, or something like that.

I'm not sure because my father hardly ever talks about her. The rare times that he does talk about her are when he's drunk.

He has been drinking since as far back as I can remember too…That's one of the few things that I hate about him. Him getting drunk, that is.

He's beaten me in a drunken rage before, a lot of times actually, but I've never told the authorities or any of my friends. I mean, why should I? It's not like he does it on purpose.

Besides, if I told the authorities they might lock him up. Daddy couldn't survive in prison. As strong as he is, if he were locked up he'd break. No, I can't tell anybody about anything that he does to me.

I can't let him get locked up, he needs me. He would probably die without me.

Heck, without me he would forget to go to work in the morning. We need each other to survive in this godforsaken world. Be he needs me especially, seeing as he doesn't have any friends.

I, on the other hand, have plenty. Seven to be exact. And, as sad as it sounds, I think that I would be lost without them. I hate that. Having to depend on my friends, that is.

I've always hated depending on people for anything. It makes me feel…inferior. I guess because with my dad it's like I'm the one in charge…

Sometimes I hate him for that too. I mean, how can I not? I see all of these girls walking around with their fathers and laughing and playing games with them…Things you would never catch me doing with my father.

It's kinda sad when you think about it.

The relationship I have with my father is so strange. I love him more than anyone on this planet and yet, I hate him with a passion.

I love doing things for him but hate him for making me do them.

It's odd, this relationship I have with my father.

I'm not sure whether I hate him more, or love him more. All I know is that he's my father and I have to do everything in my power to keep him happy, even if it is at my own expense.

It's called sacrifice, and I do it a lot for him. After all, it is the right thing to do, isn't it?


	3. Hangovers

_**Chapter One**_

I nudge my father with my foot as I head for the kitchen. "Dad, get up or you'll miss breakfast."

I can't help but feel sorry for him as he turns over and groans from the sudden movement. He came home about two o'clock this morning from one of his crazy parties and clonked down on the floor in front of the couch.

Poor thing, I'm sure he's suffering from another on of his hangovers.

Which reminds me, I better make some coffee or else he won't be able to go to work today.

Sometimes it really is hard taking care of my father.

I fix the coffee and set the table. It isn't long after that Dad drags himself into the kitchen and flops lazily into one of the wooden chairs.

"Hey, Hilary," he slurs.

I pour him a cup of coffee and place it in his hands. "How much did you drink last night, Dad? You look like crap."

He really does. His usually neat brown hair is sticking up in every direction and his eyes are all bloodshot. It use to creep me out when I was little, but I've gotten use to it now. Not that I like it or anything. I'm just use to it.

"I didn't drink much," he's telling me, "I only had a couple."

Meaning twenty or thirty. It's a miracle he got home last night. I'll have to check the car before he goes to work this morning. Make sure everything is okay with it.

Dad has his head laying down on the table. He's trying to go back to sleep.

"Drink your coffee, Dad. It will make you feel better. Besides, you can't miss work today. You have that really important meeting today, remember?"

He brought the coffee mug to his mouth, wincing the whole time, and took a sip. He scowled. "Why is this coffee black? You know I can't stand black coffee."

I sit across from him at the table. "Just drink it, Dad. Black coffee will help you get over your hangover faster. And make sure you eat breakfast too. That will help as well. You have to go to work today for the meeting."

He glared at me and brought the cup of coffee back to his mouth. I wonder if I'll have to watch him to make sure he drinks it all.

"I went to that party last night to forget about that meeting."

"Well," I replied coolly, "that is just to bad. You are going to work today. We need the money."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the adult here. I get to make the decisions."

I cut my pancake and take a bite as I roll my eyes. "You may be the adult, but you are also the one with a hangover because you decided to be stupid and go to a party and get drunk. You are in no condition to make any decisions today, so I can and will make them for you. Now, eat and drink up because you are going to work, whether you want to or not. You don't have a choice."

He glared at me, and I glared right back. I won, naturally, because of his hangover. He has to go to work.

00000000

I am going to kill him! I am going to be late for school and it is all my father's fault!

Dad left for work late this morning because, not only did he have a hangover, he had barfed all over his good suit so I had to run down to the Laundromat to wash and dry it. That took an hour and thirty minutes. When I got home, Dad was asleep on the couch again. It took me ten minutes to wake him up and another to get him to put his suit on. Then, he lost his shoes. It took as fifteen minutes to find those, then another fifteen to get him out of the house and into the car.

So, not only is my father probably going to be late for work, I am going to be late for school.

I have never in my life been late for school. This is so going to mess up my perfect record.

"Hey, Hilary!"

I skid to a stop on my skates and turn around. Oh great, now I really know that I'm late. There's Tyson.

I lift my hand in greeting to one of my best friends and wait for him to catch up with me on his skateboard.

I wonder if he's ever fallen off of that thing.

He grins at me as he stops his skateboard beside me. "Hey, Hil. Why aren't you at school yet?"

I turn my back to him and resume skating towards school, he stays beside me. "I woke up late," I lie breezily. "Why aren't you at school?"

His grin widened. "For the same reason as everyday. I went back to sleep after I got dressed and forgot to set my alarm clock."

Note to self: remember to start waking up earlier and getting Dad to work earlier so that you can wake up Tyson and make sure he gets to school on time.

It seems my job never stops.


	4. Lunch and Disappointment

**A/N: Rape and molest are not the same thing. To molest is to have someone touch you in private areas that you don't want them to put their hands. To rape is to force someone to have sex with you. Molestation is only touching. Raping is actually forcing someone to have sex.**

_**Chapter Two**_

"Hilary are you coming over to my house after school today?" Tyson asks me as we walked towards the cafeteria.

I don't answer because I'm only half listening. I need to get home before six to make sure I can cook dinner for my dad and I haven't quite decided what to cook yet.

"Hilary?" Tyson asks as he waves a hand in front of my face.

I slap it away and glare at him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? It is very distracting."

He just grins at me. "Sorry, but you didn't answer my question."

My anger begins to melt away as I smile softly at him. "Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking…Now what did you ask me?"

He rolls his eyes. "Are you coming to my house after school today?"

I don't answer until after we have our food and are moving towards our regular table. "Sure. But I have to be home by----"

He cuts me off. "You have to be home by six o'clock so that dinner will be done by the time your father gets home. I know the story. You've only told it to me about a billion times."

"You're such a child, Tyson," I say as I shake my head at him.

He just grins. He's heard that a lot too. "Hey, guys," Tyson says to our friends as we sit down at the table.

A boy with long black hair and yellow, catlike eyes smiles at us. "Hey guys. What took you so long?"

"Someone," I say angrily as I shoot a glare at Tyson, "fell asleep in class again today and was called into the principals office. Once again, I had to talk Mr. Jacobson out of giving Tyson anything too severe." I bite into me green apple before continuing. "I wonder how he manages to fall asleep in class when he sleeps half the morning away at his own house."

Ray, the boy who asked the question, grins at me. "I've learned never to think too hard on things dealing with Tyson. It will just give you a terrible headache."

He shoots Ray a glare. "What is that supposed to mean, Ray?"

"It means that you're so dense that it hurts people's heads to think too much about you," Kai, a boy with two-toned hair and grey eyes, said coolly from beside Ray.

"That'll be Kai's sentence for the day," I muttered as Tyson sent Kai a glare.

The others laugh and Kai sends me and glare and goes, "Hnn."

I wrinkle my nose at him and smile triumphantly. "See. What did I tell you?"

A girl with brown hair, red bangs that frame her face, and green eyes pluck a fry off of Kai's plate and frowns at me. "Stop picking on Kai, Hilary."

"I'm not," I say. "I'm only stating the facts. You know you agree with me. The only reason you won't say that you do is because you have a major crush on Kai."

Tika's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "I-I do not."

"Lying is bad for your health, Tika," I reply brightly.

Everyone in our group of eight---Me, Tyson, Max, Emily, Ray, Mariah, Kai and Tika---know that Tika has a crush on Kai. She has since we were all in elementary school. If I'm correct, she started liking him when were all in the third grade.

Sure, she's had tons of boyfriends, but none of them could ever amount to Kai in her book. I wonder if she sees anything in him besides his looks…

I look behind Tika and see a boy with fiery red hair cold, brown eyes sitting at a table in the middle of the cafeteria and give an inventory shudder. That's Princeton Peters. He's probably the most popular boys in school and just about every girl wants to go out with him.

I went out with him for about two months last year, but I broke up with him when he tried to get me to have sex with him.

I don't know why I freaked out the way I did when he took me up to that room and began to touch me…I guess it just sort of reminded me of when my father got drunk and how sometimes he'll drag me---literally---up to his room and do things to me that a father should never do to his daughter…

"Hey, Hilary, are you okay?" I look up to see Emily Anderson, a girl with orange hair, blue eyes, and glasses staring curiously at me.

I give her a soft smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just doing a bit of thinking. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. You just seem a bit out of it," she said with a shrug.

"Yeah, Hilary. You've been sort of just out there for a few days now. Are you sure everything is okay?" the boy sitting beside Emily with blonde hair and blue eyes asks me softly.

"Yes, Max," I reply. "Everything is fine. I've just been a little tired, that's all."

A girl with pink hair and yellow, catlike eyes looks worriedly at me. "Are you sure? You're a little pale, Hilary. Maybe you should go see the nurse."

"I'm fine, Mariah," I say as kindly as I can.

By now, everyone---Max, Ray, Kai, Tika, Emily, Mariah, and Tyson---is staring at me. I hate it when they get like this. I know that they're my friends and everything and that they're just worried about me, but sometimes I wish that they would just…stop.

Why can't they just be content to know Hilary Tatibana, the sweet and happy no nonsense girl that doesn't take anything from anybody?

Why can't they just be happy to know the girl that pretend…no try to be?

Why do they have to try to see the me that's scared to go home at night sometimes because she doesn't know if she's going home to see a caring father, an abusive father, a molester, or a rapist?

Why can't they just be happy to know the normal girl that always does her homework and gets straight A's and cooks and cleans for her father because she doesn't have a mother and, other than that, doesn't have anything by normal problems?

I feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes and quickly look down at my food to hide them. After a few seconds, I mange to speak through a shaky voice. "I'm fine, you guys. Don't worry about me."

I don't have to look up to know that they don't believe me. After all, I don't sound too convincing.

"You know, Hilary, if anything is wrong you can tell us. You know that don't you?" Tyson asks softly as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

Of course Tyson would know that I'm crying. How can such an idiot be so in tune to my emotions?

I rest my head on his shoulder as he wipes a tear away. "Yes. I know," I look around at my friends after Tyson wipes away the tears. "But there's nothing to tell. Everything is fine."

He squeezes my shoulder one last time before nodding and pulling away. "Okay. If you're sure."

I nod my head. "I am."

The others go back to talking about whatever it was that they were talking about before but I can sense the disappointment that they feel. I always can. In fact, I feel a bit disappointed in myself for not being able to tell them. I mean, we're best friends. We should be able to tell each other anything.

Shouldn't we?

But I can't tell this secret. I can't.

If I tell them, then they'll tell an adult, who will call the authorities and then my father will be thrown in jail.

I poke the food on my tray and then push it away. I'm not hungry anymore.

I guess disappointment and lunch just don't mix.


	5. Lying Through My Teeth

_**Chapter Three**_

I played with my fingers as I anxiously watched the clock. It's nearly one o'clock in the morning and my father still isn't home.

The meeting must have gone terribly, he always stays out extra late when something goes wrong.

Maybe I shouldn't have forced him to go to work this morning. Maybe his boss found out that he had been drinking the night before and wouldn't let him go to the meeting. Maybe he threw up on one of his colleagues while he was talking at the meeting and got kicked out. Maybe…

Oh, God! That's him at the door.

Please be in a good mood. Please be in a good mood. Please be in a good mood.

I push my chair back from the table and walk into the living room to greet him.

"Hi, Daddy!" I say as cheerfully as I can as I take in his appearance.

His brown hair is flying in every direction, his eyes are clouded over with drunkenness, his clothes are all disorderly, he's missing one of his shoes, and he can't even walk in a straight line.

_Okay, Hilary, _I silently tell myself as I wait for him to say something. _Maybe he won't do anything tonight. Maybe he'll just pass out on the floor like he did last night. _

"Don't you 'hi Daddy' me," he slurs as he snarls at me.

I feel my back stiffen as I look into his glazed eyes and take an involuntary step back. He has that look in his eye again.

"I-Is everything okay, Daddy? How did the meeting go?" I stammer as he takes a step towards me and I take another back.

"How did the meeting go?" he asks as he laughs ruefully. "How did the meeting go?" he repeats again in a roar.

He picks up and hurls it at me. I duck and it hits the wall. I cringe as a few of the shards fall and scrape my skin.

"If you want to know how the meeting went," he continues angrily as he walks up to me and pins my arm up over my head. "You'll have to ask my boss. He fired me as soon as I walked into the building. Said I came in late too often. That I missed days too often."

I want to tell him that it was his own fault for getting drunk last night. That it was his own fault for not getting up and getting dressed like I told him to, when I told him. But I know better than to say that. I know to keep my mouth shut about things like that when he's drunk.

"I-I'm sorry you got fired, Daddy. Maybe you can look for a new job in the morning?" I say in as brave a voice as I can muster.

If he knows I'm scared, he'll just start hurting me faster.

"Maybe," he says as he brings his face close for me to smell the liquor on his breath.

It's everything I can do not to gag.

"Maybe," he repeats as he slips his hand under my shirt and squeezes one of my breasts.

I struggle against him and begin to cry. "Daddy, please, don't do this."

"Shh," he says in a soothing voice as he begins to lift my shirt over his head as if my struggles are nothing.

Why does he have to be so strong?

Even though I'm kicking and trying to push him off of me, he still manages to completely undress me and I stand completely naked before him, there in the living room.

His eyes sweep over me appraisingly and he grabs my arms as I try to cover myself up. "No, Hilary. There isn't anything that I haven't seen before. Be a good girl and let Daddy have a good look at you."

I try pull my arms out of his grip and back away from him, but I can't because my back is already pressed up against the wall.

He holds my arms with one hand and the other begins at my stomach and slowly travels lower and lower down my body.

He ignores my cries and pleas for him to stop and my pulling and kicking as his hand slowly continues its decent…

* * *

"My head is killing me," Daddy says the next morning as he walks into the kitchen.

He doesn't remember a thing from last night, but I can't seem to get the images out of my head.

"It's your own fault," I tell him. "You shouldn't have gone out drinking last night."

"I know," he says. "I don't need you to tell me that drinking is bad for me. Besides, I was very depressed. I lost my job yesterday, I'll have you know," he eyes me curiously and I can tell that he's staring at the bruise on my cheek from when he slammed me against the wall. "What happened to your face, Hilary?"

I force a light chuckle and shrug. "This morning, like an idiot, I hit myself with the door. I'm a serious klutz."

He eyes me and I know that he doesn't believe me. But how can I tell him that he's the one who gave me this bruise? His eyes look me up and down and I feel his eyes land on the bruises my wrists and upper arms.

He doesn't ask, probably because he knows that I won't answer him truthfully.

But I can't answer him truthfully, if I did it would break his heart.

I sat breakfast, coffee, and a newspaper down in front of him before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Look for a job in the paper, Daddy. I'll be leaving early from now on so that I can make sure that Tyson gets his lazy but to school on time. I have to go get dressed." I run over to the stairs but before I climb them I turn around and call over my shoulder, "Make sure you drink all of that coffee. I'll know if you don't."

I can't see it, but I can sense his scowl as I run up the stairs. He hates it when I boss him around. But somebody has to do it.

* * *

It took me ten whole minutes to wake Tyson up. I did everything from yelling in his ear to plugging his nose but none of those tricks worked, so I decided to try something else.

"Tyson, breakfast is ready!"

That sure did it. Tyson shot out of bed and was in the kitchen in seconds.

"Hey," he grumbled, "breakfast isn't ready." he turned and glared at me. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled softly at him and threw him some clothes. "Get dressed and we'll grab something to eat on the way to school. Okay?"

That seemed to cheer him up a bit. "Sure!"

Fifteen minutes later we walked out of a donut shop with a bag of donuts and two cups of coffee.

"Hey, Hil?" Tyson said after he gobbling down his third donut (I was still on my first).

"Hmm?" I asked tiredly.

"Did you run to something again?"

I felt myself stiffen. I know that he knows that I don't get my bruises from running into things. He's trying to trick me into telling him who's hitting me.

I take a gulp of my coffee before nodding. "Yeah. This morning when I woke up I hit myself with the door."

"Mmm," is his only reply.

I hate lying to Tyson, he's my best friend, but I can't exactly tell him that father raped me again last night. If I did, then Daddy would be taken to jail and it would be all my fault.

Sure, he does things that he shouldn't do, but he's all the family that I have left and I have to protect him. It's not like he does it on purpose or anything. I mean, when he does it he doesn't even know what he's doing.

My father is a good man. Even if he does do unspeakable, unthinkable, things to me.

"I wish you would tell me how you really get all of those bruises, Hilary," Tyson says as the school comes into view.

I grab another donut from the bag and take a bite out of it. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I just told you how I got the bruise."

He glowers at me and I can tell that he wants to say something so badly, but he doesn't. Instead, he just downs the rest of his coffee, throws the cup away, and leaves me behind as he walks into the building.

This always happens when we start talking about my bruises. He asks me how I get them and just lie through my teeth.

It's a wonder that we're still friends.


	6. They Just Came Out

_**Chapter Four **_

He still isn't talking to me.

I hate it when he gets like this. Tyson I mean. He's so protective of me, like he's afraid that I can break at any moment. And yet, when he gets mad at me, he doesn't talk to me for _hours_.

Okay. So it's only been twenty minutes, but it might as well have twenty hours. I mean, we sit right beside each other and he keeps sending me these weird glares.

I understand that he's mad at me for not telling him what's going on, but he doesn't need to look at me like I destroyed his whole comic book collection. I mean, really.

It's not like it's that big of a deal, and I tell him just that(in a whisper of course. I don't want to upset the teacher).

"Not a big deal!" he hisses in a threatening whisper. "Someone is beating you, and doing only God knows what to, and you say that it's no big deal? Are you crazy?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "I already told you that nobody is beating me. I'm just a really big klutz. Why won't you believe me?"

Our voices are beginning to rise and the students sitting around us are beginning to stare.

Thankfully, it's just the rest of our little gang.

"Because, anytime someone brings up the topic of your bruises, you get all fidgety. Who are you trying to protect? And why are trying to protect this person if they keep hitting you?" he demands angrily.

I stand up and slam my hands on my desk and stand up. I know that I've probably attracted the attention of the whole class, but I really don't care. I look down at Tyson and glare daggers at him. "It's not like he does it on purpose! Don't say it like that!"

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to shrink and burry myself deep in a whole.

But before I can do that, Tyson stands up as well and points a finger at me accusingly. "Ah ha! So now I know that it's a he. Do I get a name now too?"

At his words, I feel my protectiveness of my father take over again and narrow my eyes once more. "You most certainly will not, Mr. Granger," I say acidly. "And do you want to know why?"

"Yes, Ms. Tatibana," he mocks me. "Tell me."

I take a step forward and poke him in the chest. "Because it's absolutely none of your business."

My blue-haired friend scoffs. "None of my business? What do you mean it's none of my business? You're my best friend, so it is, in fact, my business to know who is doing this. I want to know what man has the right to---"

"That's enough you two!" Mr. Yoshimura calls from the front of the classroom. "You have disrupted my class for long enough. Out in the hallway, both of you! I'll deal with you two after class."

I can feel the eyes of the other students on me as I turn on my heal and storm down the row of desks to the front of the class. As I walk past Mr. Yoshimura he gives me a disappointed look and I can't help but feel ashamed.

I've never been kicked out of class before.

This whole protecting Daddy thing is going to get me into a lot of trouble, I can tell. But it's what I have to do in order to keep what little family I have left.

Even if it is at my own expense.

"I'm sorry," Tyson says five minutes later as we stand with our backs against the wall while holding buckets of water. "I didn't mean to blow up at you and get you in trouble, Hil. I'm just really worried about you."

I just sigh and look away from him. "You don't have to be, Tyson. I'm fine and I can take care of myself."

I hear his breath come out in a rush of anger. "What do you mean I don't have to be worried? You just admitted that someone is beating you and he's probably doing other things as well. I want to know who it is!"

"Tyson," I say in voice that lets him know that he is treading on dangerous territory.

"Fine," he grumbles.

We stand like that for the remainder of the class period, with our backs against the wall, frowning, and silent.

* * *

"So," Tika says as we sit down at the cafeteria table, "how much trouble are you two in?"

I make sure that I'm as far away from Tyson as possible. "We both have ASD for the rest of the week."

"That isn't so bad," Mariah says. "I think you two got off easy."

I shrug. "Probably."

An awkward silence fills the table before Tyson opens his mouth. But before he can say anything, I cut him off. "Don't even think about mentioning what were talking about in class. If you do, I swear I'll break your nose."

He immediately clamps his mouth shut and looks in the other direction.

Kai takes this opportunity to pounce. He looks at me with his penetrating grey eyes and lifts an eyebrow. "Speaking of that 'incident' in class, what _were _you two talking about anyway?"

I narrow my eyes. "Don't think I won't break your nose, too," is the only reply that I give.

"But, Hil," Ray says calmly. "We have a right to know what is going on. We're you're friends and we want to help you."

I feel my bottom lip begin to quiver. I will not cry. "It's none of your business. And it's not like it's serious or anything."

"If it's not serious, then why won't you tell us?" Max ask accusingly.

"Because, like I said before, it's none of your business. I can handle it by myself."

"But you've been trying to handle it by yourself and all you've gotten is more cuts and bruises," the blonde says softly, almost sadly.

I don't say anything.

"It's sad," Mariah tells me softly. "That you don't think that you can tell us. I mean, if you can't tell us---your best friends---then who can you tell?"

I will not cry.

I will not break.

I will not tell.

"Absolutely nobody!" Tika answers the question. "You can't confide in anybody if you can't confide in us. It's impossible."

"No it isn't. But it's not likely to happen," Emily tells Tika.

"Why do you always have to be so logical?" Tika asks her exasperatedly.

Emily ignores her and wraps an arm around my shoulders. "Listen, Hilary. We're you're friends, and we want what's best for you. We want you to be happy. But most of all, we want you to be safe. And it's obvious that you aren't, so why won't you just tell us who is doing this to you?"

The tears begin to roll down my cheeks. "Because I can't."  
"But why not?" Tika asks. "Why would you want to protect this person?"

I don't answer and there is silence for a few minutes.

Suddenly, I feel someone pull me from Emily and to them. I look up and realize that it's Tyson. I burry my face in his chest and shake my head.

I want to tell them, I really do. But I can't.

He begins to stroke my hair. "You can tell us Hil. We just want to help you. Like Emily said, we just want you to be safe."

"I can't," I sob into is chest.

"Why not?" he asks soothingly.

The words come out before I can stop them. "Because, he's the only family I have left."


	7. Better Not Come Crying to Me

_**Chapter Five**_

_Because, he's the only family that I have left._

I jump as I feel her wrench herself out of my arms, and she stares at me with her tearstained face, eyes wide with horror. "I…I…"

She can't seem to find her voice, so I speak, and before I even say a word I know that I'll sound furious. "You _father _does this to you?"

I watch her wince and look at the floor. Not looking any of us in the eye.

I'll take that as a yes.

Tika stands up and wraps a comforting arm around Hilary. "Why didn't you tell us before, Hilary? Why haven't you told the cops."

I watched as her hand suddenly gripped Tika's arm. "You can't tell anyone, none of you can! If you do, they'll send him to jail."

"And that's exactly where he belongs!" I yell, attracting the attention of at least ten other tables.

Kai stands up, his face cool and impassive, just like always. "I think we should go to a place where we can have a bit more privacy."

Tika nods her head in agreement. "Yeah, I agree. Let's go up to the roof."

After throwing away our trays, the eight of us make out way to the top of the school building and, as soon as the door is shut, I begin speaking again.

"Hilary, we have to tell someone! Who _knows _what he'll----"

She cuts me off and stumps her foot childishly. "No! You can't tell anyone, Tyson! If you do, I swear I'll never talk to you again! It's not like he knows what he's doing!"

I take a step back. "What do you _mean _he doesn't know what he's doing? How can he not know that he's raping, molesting, and beating his sixteen-year-old daughter?"

Her face hardens completely as she crosses her arms firmly across her chest. "He doesn't know because I haven't _told _him."

The catches the attention of the others.

Ray steps forward. "What do you mean you haven't told him? Why would you have to?"

It seems that Hilary has suddenly found her shoes very interesting.

"Hilary…" Ray says lightly.

It's taking everything I have not to go over there and shake her.

"Because," she finally says after a few minutes, "he's drunk when he does it. He barely even knows who he _is, _let alone what he's _doing._"

There's silence for a few seconds as we all watch her. Why in the world would she try to protect someone who hurts her like that, even if he is her father?

I just don't understand her.

"Look, Hilary," Kai is saying, "he may be your father and he may not know what he's doing, but that doesn't make it right," our two-tone haired friend narrowed his eyes. "You have to tell the cops or an adult."

Hilary's eyes narrowed as well. "No. I don't and I won't. I am not going to have my father sent to jail."

Max walks up to her and places his hands on her shoulders. "But, think about it, Hilary. He could _kill _you if he keeps this up. You're one of my best friends, I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

She smiles sweetly at Max. "That's really sweet and everything, Maxie. You're one my best friends too, but you don't need to worry. Everything is going to be fine."

I snort and lift both of my eyebrows. It's obvious that she's trying to convince herself as much as she's trying to convince the rest of us.

She glares angrily at me. "Is there something that you want to say, Tyson?"

"No," I say coolly. "If you want to sign your death warrant, who am I to step in and stop you?"

Her face turns hard. "I don't know why you act like you care, Tyson. You should be throwing a party. After all, stuck up little Hilary is getting her just desserts."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't play stupid, Mr. Granger! You know exactly what I mean. If I were to wind up dead, which I won't, you know that you wouldn't care. I mean, it's not like you never made it known that you don't like me."

I just stare at her in shock. How could she say something like that? She's been one of my best friends since as far back as I can remember. I mean, I've known her even longer than I've known Max, and I've known him since forever.

I mean, she and I used to have _baths _together, I've known her so long! What in the world does she mean by saying that I don't care what happens to her?

I purse my lips together and nod. "Okay, Hil. If that's what you want to believe, then I won't care. When, and he will, your father kills you I won't go to your funeral, I won't cry. Heck, if you want, I'll act as if you never existed."

"Fine," I can hear the slight crack in her voice, but I ignore it. If she wants to think that I don't care about her, then that's her problem.

It's not like I ever planned on telling her that I lo…No. Where in the world did that come from?

"Fine," I repeat and head towards the door, ignoring Max, Ray, Tika, Emily, Mariah as they call after me.

If Hilary doesn't want me here, then I won't be here.

She just better not come crying to me when her father kills her.


	8. Falling Apart

_**Chapter Six**_

We're falling apart, that's all I have to say.

Ever since Hilary accidentally let it slip that her father is the one doing those unspeakable things to her, our little group has just been falling apart.

After Hilary snapped at Tyson and he walked away, our group of eight has turned into two groups of four. The boys against the girls.

And it's only been a week.

Who knew that I secret, no matter how big, could tear apart of group of kids that have been friends since elementary schools.

I mean, we're in eleventh grade and we've been a group since the fourth grade. How can seven years of friendship---some even longer---fall apart in a week?

I hate Felix---he's Hilary's father---this is all his fault.

If he didn't drink, then none of this would have happened, and we'd all still be friends.

It's so hard not talking to the guys, but I can't just leave Hilary when she needs me.

If my father treated me like hers treats her, I'd want the support of my friends too. I just wish the guys were helping too.

I can understand that they went to Tyson because Hilary was way out of line with what she said about him not caring, but he was trying to force her to tell the authorities.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that she should tell too, but you have to look at it through her eyes. Felix is her father, and the only family that she has left.

If she loses him, then she'll be all alone, at least that's how she sees it.

I think she forgets that, even if she doesn't have any family to take care of her, she still has friends that will.

I know that Emily, Mariah, and I will anyway.

And Ray and Max would take a bullet for her.

So would Kai, I mean, he sees Hilary as a younger sister. She's the only girl, other than myself, who has ever made him smile…from what I know, anyway.

And don't even get me started on Tyson.

Not only would he die for her, he would probably _kill _for her.

The boy is crazy for her, no matter what he says.

But, even with my knowing that, I still feel like we're falling apart, maybe even drifting apart.

And if that is happening, I don't think that I can bare it.

The sound of the telephone breaks my train of thought. I grumble and pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Tika? It's Kai," I hear a familiar male voice say from the phone.

I feel my cheeks begin to involuntarily redden. How is it that he can have that affect on me through the telephone?

"Yeah, it's me. What's up?" I say as casually as I can.

There's the usual pause before he speaks again. "We have to do something."

I don't have to ask what he's talking about. He's been thinking the same thing as me: our little group of friends is falling apart.

"I know. But what _can _we do? You know Tyson isn't going to talk to Hilary again until she apologizes, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon. And you _know _that if those two don't make up, our group is as good as dead. I have no idea why, but you know that they're the ones that keep us together."

There's a sigh and I can just imagine him running his fingers though his hair while he thinks. His eyebrows are probably knitted together in concentration, and his lips in that perfect thin line that makes him look even sexier than usual.

Just thinking about it makes me want to kiss him.

"Tika? Did you hear me?" his voice brings me out of daydream.

"Oops. Oh, sorry Kai. I guess I got…distracted. What did you say?"

I can sense him rolling his eyes. "Meet me at the café in twenty minutes, okay? We can think of something over lunch."

"Okay."

As I hang up the phone, I can't help but feel my heart fill up with happiness.

I know that this is an attempt to make sure our group doesn't fall apart, and that Hilary is being beaten and molested by her father and I should feel really sad and depressed, but I can't help but feel the exact opposite.

I am going on an almost date with Kai Hiwitari!

Okay, so it's not even an almost date, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Now, what to wear…


	9. The Things I Do For Friends

_**Chapter Seven**_

Chino's is a small, popular café that, at night, is usually filled with couples. But, in the daytime, it is the perfect time to meet with a friend in order to come up with a plan.

In this case, Tika and I are going to try to construct a plan to save The Eight Wonders. At least, that's what the town and everyone in school calls us. But we usually just refer to ourselves as The Crew.

If you ask Tika about our group, she'll say that it's a group of four guys, four girls, and four potential couples.

Now that I've got Tika on the mind, I wonder where she is. She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago.

"Sorry I'm late, Kai," as if hearing my thoughts Tika pops up right in front of me.

Before saying anything, I look her over. She's wearing a blue jean skirt that stops a few inches above her knees, a pink and white striped shirt that hangs off of her shoulders, pink dangly earrings, and her hair is in a high ponytail.

All in all, I have to say that she looks pretty cute.

I shrug in response to her statement. "Doesn't matter. You're here now. Let's get down to business."

She smiles and sits down across from me. "Well that's good. I was afraid that you would be mad at me or something…I know how you are about being on time and all that other stuff."

I just shrug again. "I knew you'd be late. You always are."

I could barely hide the smile that began to make it's way across my face as I watched her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she puffed them out indignantly.

"I'm not _always _late," she says sulkily.

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get to what we came here for."

Her lips seemed to get even more poutier…if that were even possible. "Fine."

We sat in silence for a few moments, just staring at each other. Each of us waiting for the other to speak first.

I broke the silence with a sigh. "So, do you have any ideas on how we can fix this?"

I watched as she pursed her lips together thoughtfully and I realized that she was waiting for an invitation. "Well, I do I have a few ideas…" she let her voice trail off and grinned slyly at me.

I didn't like the look of that smile.

"What type of ideas?" I asked slowly.

She leaned forward and grinned. "Well, it's only two. Plan number one: Lock Tyson and Hilary in a closet and refuse to let them out. Although, I do have my doubts about that one. They might kill each other."

I nodded. She did have a point there. Tyson and Hilary are both pretty stubborn and would probably kill each other before they let go of their pride.

"Okay. What's your second plan?"

She smiled brightly. "I was hoping you'd ask that."

I swallowed when she gave me a suggestive grin. I really hope she isn't about to say what I _think _she's about to say.

"Plan number two: You and I act like we're a couple."

She said it. How did I know that that was going to be what she had in mind?

Before I could reply, a waiter came over and gave us the food that we had ordered ten minutes earlier.

After thanking him and assuring him that, at the moment, we were fine he left and we resumed our plotting.

I lifted both eyebrows at her and asked a question that I already knew the answer to. "How, exactly, would that help our group stay together?"

"Easy!" she said happily as she popped a fry into her mouth. "If you and I were going out, we'd sit together at lunch and all of those other get together things. And since the guys always sit with you and the girls always sit with me, then we'll all have to sit together and it will be pretty hard to avoid one another. It's a win-win situation."

I can't help the snort that escapes my lips. "How is this a win-win situation?"

"Well, it gets our group back together---or at least starts to---and you and I get to date. Everybody's happy."

I roll my eyes at her. "You sure are blunt."

She frowns and lifts an eyebrow. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"That thing about locking Hilary and Tyson in the closest is starting to sound pretty good…"

She narrows her eyes threateningly and I sigh. "Fine. But we're going to have to lay down boundaries."

Tika's green eyes light up happily as she claps her hands. "Yay! Okay. But you can't ban hugging---all couples do that---or kissing."

I narrow my eyes at her. "The hugging thing I can handle. But kissing is a little overboard, don't you think?"

She rolls her eyes. "Fine. No kissing on the lips. But you are going to at least kiss me on the cheek if we're going to make this believable."

I watched as she took a bite out of her burger with a decisive nod. When she gets like this, there is absolutely no arguing with her…unless of course you want her to gauge your eyes out.

I take a bite out of my own burger and sigh. The things I do for my friends…


	10. Big News?

_**Chapter Eight **_

I stared sullenly at the at the ceiling as I laid on my bed. It has been a week since the last time that I spoke to Tyson and I have to admit that I am completely depressed. Maybe I did go a bit overboard with yelling at him, but he doesn't understand that my father is the only family that I have left and I cannot, and will not, let him go.

He hasn't even tried to contact me, but then again I haven't tried to contact him. I know that I probably should, but I can't bring myself to do it.

Dad hasn't done anything to me in the past week. I wonder how long it will last this time. Maybe he's stopped for good. I sure hope so.

I wonder if he'd go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting thing. If he stops drinking then I know for a fact that he'll stop touching me. I'll ask him when he gets back from his interview. It's his third one this week.

I hope he gets a job. We're already behind on some of the bill payments.

The sound of the phone ringing brings me out of my thoughts. I jump up and answer it.

"Tatibana residence, Hilary speaking," I said into the receiver.

"Why do you always answer the phone like that Hilary?" a familiar voice asked. "If I didn't know any better I'd think that I was calling some type of business."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Tika? I know you didn't call to gripe and complain about how I answer my phone."

"You don't know that. The way you answer the phone is very aggravating," she paused. "By the way, I think you'd make a great secretary."

"Tika, if you don't get to the point I swear I'll hang up. I have more important things to worry about."

"More important things like what? Your relationship with Tyson?"

"Tika!"

"Fine, fine," she grumbled. "And you call me impatient. Anyway, I was just calling to tell you some very exciting news."

"Exciting how?" I asked as I lifted an eyebrow. "Exciting like meeting Orlando Bloom exciting or exciting like meeting Brad Pitt."

"First of all, I'll take Orlando over Brad any day," she said in that flirtatious way she has. "He's much closer to my age. And secondly, it's not quite that exciting but life altering all the same."

I snorted. "I find that hard to believe. Anyway, spill. What's this life-altering news that you're just dying to tell me."

She was silent a few seconds before answering. "Stay the night at my house tonight and I'll tell you then."

"Why?"

"Talking about Orland Bloom and Brad Pitt makes me want to watch _Troy_…I'll get the others to come over tonight too. It'll be a girls night in."

"You're going to wait until tonight to tell me something really important?" I asked incredulously.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "As exciting as this news is, it can wait for Orlando and Brad. I'll see you at six."

I opened my mouth to reject but was suddenly greeted by the dial tone.

As much as I love Tika, she can really be a pain in the but sometimes. Here I am trying to wallow in self-pity and she calls me and gets me all hyped up about some life changing event that happened to her, and she won't even tell me what it is!

I hung up the phone and walked to my closet and pulled out my overnight bag. I'll just leave a note for Dad, telling him where I am.

* * *

I showed up at Tika's house at five thirty, overnight bag thrown unceremoniously over my shoulder. I knocked on the door and was shocked to see Tyson on the other side of the door when it opened.

We stared at each other in silent shock, neither of us speaking for a few seconds before his bright brown eyes darkened and narrowed.

"What are _you _doing here?" he demanded coolly.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied just as coolly.

We both glared coolly at each other for a few seconds before I spoke again. "Are you going to let me in, or what?"

He stepped aside and walked into the house and was about to go into the living room when he said something else. "Are you sure your father wants you going out? Maybe he wants to play some 'games' with you tonight."

I froze and whirled around to face him. "My father does not control my life. And what goes on between me and my father is none of your freaking business. So, I suggest you keep your nose out of my business."

"Sorry, Hil," he said. "I can't do that. As soon as you told me what's been going on between you and your father, it became my business, and it's not going to stop being my business until you tell someone about what that man has been doing to you."

"That man," I said in a low voice, "is my father, and I refuse to incriminate him for something that he doesn't even know about."

"He may not know anything about it," he replied, "but that doesn't change that fact that he does it."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Tika walked into the room and interrupted me. "Hey, Hil. I'm so glad you're here. I need you to help me set up the snacks. Tyson get back in there and help the rest of the guys set up the games."

The bluenette grunted and walked away, sounding much like Kai.

As soon as he was out of earshot I turned on Tika. "What is _he _doing here?"

She blinked in surprise. "Oh. Well, Kai called to talk to me about something and I decided that maybe we should have a coed sleepover, seeing how my news has to do with Kai too. That way we could tell you and the others together."

I frowned. "What could be so important that you and Kai have to tell us together? Are you two dating or something?"

Her cheeks flushed brightly and she looked away. "C'mon. Let's go make the snacks."

Oh. My. God. I was right.

I grabbed her arm and wheeled her around to face me, grinning broadly as I did this. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? This is incredible! Where is Kai, anyway?"

Her cheeks flushed even redder as she tried to fight a smile. "He's in the living room hooking up the DVD player and helping to set up the games."

I smirked at her. "I'll be in the kitchen in a few seconds."

Her eyes widened and she grabbed my wrist. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

"Absolutely nothing," I gasped as I placed a hand over my heart and looked at her innocently. "Now, let go of my wrist so I can go tease Kai."

"I will do no such thing. You're not supposed to know about me and Kai yet and he'll be mad if he thinks that I told you without him. We _just _started dating. I don't want to ruin this thing before it even begins."

I sighed. "Fine. Just tell me where to put my bag."

She released my wrist and sighed in relief. "Just put it in the kitchen. It'll be fine there."

I nodded and followed her into the kitchen. I immediately looked at the clock. Five fifteen.

I wonder if Daddy is home yet. I hope he won't be mad when he finds out that I'm staying over at Tika's without his permission.

But then again, I think I deserve the break.


End file.
